


The Super Soldier Program Part 3: Leave No Task Half-Done

by MrHotCrest



Series: The Super Soldier Program [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Love Confessions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 07:07:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7158905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrHotCrest/pseuds/MrHotCrest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One down. Many more to go. After initiating Chrom's plan, Robin inadvertently crosses another one off the list. MUxMaribelle lemon. You have been warned!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Super Soldier Program Part 3: Leave No Task Half-Done

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick heads up. This used to be a two-parter, but I decided to just merge it into one. Sorry if it's a bit long.

**Leave No Task Half-Done**

 

 

For the time being, the Shepherds had settled into Regna Ferox to assist with the local army trying to fortify their defenses against the many Risen attacks happening lately. Ever since Grima's resurrection, the walking corpses had been coming in swathes across the continent. An anomaly, to be sure as the Fell Dragon spent every second of every day slumbering atop the Origin Peak volcano, harnessing the raw energy of the Earth to regain his power. A slow process, this is. A full millennium of being dead has the affect of making a dragon's power weaken over such a lengthy period.

For the moment, the latest strategy meeting had just adjourned, and the Khans and Chon'sin princess had left to issue orders to the troops. Robin and Chrom, however, stayed behind to reflect upon their side-mission. On their way to Ferox, Robin had informed his friend of how Henry had insisted he join their little league and help to push things a bit faster. The Dark Mage was not present, however. Earlier in the day he had snuck off somewhere and hadn't been seen by anyone in camp since.

"Okay, so we're off to a good start. Less than twenty-four hours of the plan and we've got one off the list." Chrom held scribbled a small check next to Tharja's name on a hastily written up list of the Shepherd's women. "So, how did you go about it?"

Robin shrugged and leaned back in his large chair at the table. "It took no effort on my part. This is Tharja we're talking about."

"Fair enough." Chrom folded the paper and handed it to Robin. "Any ideas on who is next?"

Exhaling, Robin stared up at the stone ceiling. He had already gotten tired of the plan when it barely got off the ground. "I dunno. I suppose I'll just drift around and whatever happens, happens."

A knock at the door turned both men's attention to it. That probably wasn't the Khans or Say'ri. If it were, they would simply come barging in like always. Chrom stood up from his chair and answered the door to see Henry's grinning face.

"So how're we all doin' today?" The boy jubilantly greeted.

"It's cold, we just had another boring meeting and I've still got to subject myself to a vastly ridiculous plan." Robin deadpanned, still leaned back in his chair.

"Awesome! Then I'm about to make your day better, my friend!" Henry responded, disregarding Robin's answer. He walked away from the door, whispering to someone just outside of the room. The figure stepped into the room, and her eyes lit up immediately.

"Dad!" Morgan squealed, breaking into a sprint and throwing herself into her father's arms and buring her face in his chest. Robin sat up straight in his chair just in time to catch his daughter's hug assault.

"Hey, hon. Sorry about missing our chess game, our meeting ran a bit long."

"Where were you, dad? We got separated and the last thing I remember was waking up face down in snow!" The girl was nearly sniffling from her time away, whatever she went through must have been ugly.

"Separated? Morgan, I haven't seen you since this morning." Robin looked to Chrom and Henry curiously. Neither of them could give an answer either. Morgan pulled her face up to look at her father, wiping a tear from her face. When Robin got a good look at her, he noticed something was not quite proper.

"Uh, Morgan? How did you get that?" Robin questioned, pointing to her hair accessory: A gold hairpiece with a design not unlike a Levin Sword and a gold rhombus hanging just off the center of it, landing on her forehead. The ornament was a bit big for her size, as it drooped a little, needing Morgan to readjust it when she picked her head up.

"What? This?" Morgan looked up to her headpiece and shrugged in response. "I've always had this. I think."

Robin glared at his daughter and gently removed the gold jewelry from her head. "Morgan, hasn't my future self taught you better than to steal from others? I know this is pretty, but you should return this to Tharja and apologize."

"What do you mean 'future self'? And who's Tharja?" The girl was utterly confused. She rubbed her vacant forehead, the feeling of her headpiece feeling alien to her.

For a moment, Robin froze. Morgan knew who Tharja was, there was no way she wouldn't know her name or that she was never seen without her headpiece. He returned the gold accessory to her head and set her on the floor from his lap.

"Honey, can you do me a favor and show me what magic you're carrying right now?"

The younger tactician nodded and pulled open her large coat to reach into the pocket and bring out her tome. The dark purple binding was enough to show Robin what he needed. Dark magic. The only people who knew the dark arts were Henry, Tharja, and Aversa, but out of the two women, Morgan was in possession of one of their belongings.

However, that wasn't the only clue that gave away this Morgan's lineage. Robin also noticed something else that his own Morgan of this timeline didn't have. Likely blessed with Tharja's genes, Morgan was also developed in ways that only the woman's young would have. He noticed it- or rather, them- when she opened her coat to grab her tome.

"Listen, Morgan, why not go with Chrom to the dining hall and go have something to eat. I'll be by later to see how you're doing, alright?"

"Is everything okay?" Morgan asked, stuffing the book back into her coat.

"Of course. I just have some important stuff to think about right now. I promise I'll see you later. Go on now." Robin gave the girl a gentle nudge to Chrom who gladly took her by the hand out of the room, leaving both white-haired men alone.

When the footsteps faded down the stone hallway, Robin got up and shut the door. He turned to look at Henry with his grin as always. "Okay... How did you do it?"

"Heh, I told ya I could get the job done, didn't I?" Henry folded his arms confidently.

"So did you complete that spell? To make children appear out of nowhere?"

"Noooot exactly." Henry began pacing across the room, a hand on his chin. "See, I couldn't quite get the original spell to work. It still needs some polishing here and there. But! I did find another way to get the job done."

"And?" Robin motioned his hands for the mage to continue.

"Ah, don't worry about the details right now, buddy. I'll tell you sometime. Maybe when this little mission of yours is over! Nya ha ha!" Leaving that cliffhanger, Henry left the meeting room and the tactician with no answers and many questions.

Sighing, Robin flopped down on his chair and pulled the list Chrom handed him from his coat. He stared blankly at the list, with only Tharja's name crossed out. Was he really expected to sire children with all of these women? There could never be a way to do that and keep the whole affair nder wraps. Having actually given this tactical thought, he realized that not only would this be impossible in its own right, it couldn't posibly end pretty for him. He was indeed screwed, figuratively speaking in this instance.

More than anything, it was his nerve that kept him from doing his duty. He simply didn't have the heart for this job. He needed someone to tell him that everything was okay. That this was going to pay off in the end despite the inevitable hurt feelings at the end. Even if it was a lie, he just needed some comfort in the fact that he wasn't being some complete sex-hound about this. This was a job, plain and simple.

He needed a drink.

Folding the list back up and settling it back into his coat pocket, Robin decided to go and join this new Morgan and explain his story so far. He also had to figure out a way to explain two Morgans occupying the same timeline. He stood up from his chair and left the meeting room to head for the mess hall. On the way there, he had to pass the barracks that the Shepherds had taken residency in. One of the best things about being allied with the Khans of Regna Ferox was great accommodations for the army's troops. No sleeping in tents out in the harsh snow when they were here.

That said, the dining hall was located within the Khan's palace itself, which the barracks were not a part of. Something about intentionally cutting down on midnight snackers. Pulling his hood over his head, Robin stubbornly crunched through the deep, white blanket of ice to the main palace, hugging himself in a poor attempt to stay warm in this weather. The snowfall wasn't as severe as it used to be, but it was still a bit of a chore to keep his eyes open with countless flakes pelting his face. Robin had to stop by a large tree to brace himself against while he wiped his face clean of the accumulating snow on his face. He was set to continue moving when he heard a shout from close by.

"SNAKE!" Someone yelled out. Robin turned in the direction of the voice and was immediately greeted with a terrible smack to the forehead by some sort of rock. The force of the toss was enough to send the tactician on his back and blurred his vision. He reached up to feel the impact area and immediately felt blood spread across his fingers. Whether it was the strike itself or the pain from the broken skin, Robin started to lose consciousness. He tried his hardest to hold on, but the cold conditions made it tougher for him to stay alert. The last thing he remembered seeing was an unidentifiable figure standing over him. They tried to say something, but their words were muffled as Robin's vision went black.

-x-

No discernible amount of time had passed before Robin began coming to. His head still hurt like nothing else, but at least he was out of the cold. For the most part anyway. Someone had put a damp rag on his forehead where he was struck. A warm bed was where he was currently laid down. He noted where he was immediately. He was back in the barracks, that was for sure, but he wasn't in his own room. The room was cozy with a nice warmth throughout. The smell of burning logs signaled a fire was lit. A sharp hissing sound pierced the silence of the room. It sounded like a prolonged whistle done with a bit too much force. Sitting up on the bed, Robin rubbed his eyes to focus his view. The hissing stopped and he heard someone speak to him from the same direction the sound came from.

"Wonderful, you're up." A dainty voice declared. Holding the damp rag against his head, Robin sat up straight to see Maribelle setting a piping hot tea kettle onto a table. She walked towards him and had a seat on a stool next to her bed that he currently occupied.

"Oh, hi..." The tactician responded, swallowing hard.

The noble gently removed the rag from his head to examine his injury. "Hm, the swelling seems to have gone down nicely."

"What in the world happened?" Robin asked. He wanted to say something like 'What the hell happened' but he always remembered to watch his tongue in Maribelle's presence.

"Nowi dragged you into my quarters from out of the snow. She mentioned you having been knocked unconscious, but she didn't bother to detail who or with what." Maribelle pressed two fingers against the tender spot, earning a wince from her patient." So I brought you in and treated that nasty head wound. You'll be fine, dear. As long as you keep your head protected."

"I really appreciate the help." Robin, smiled shyly with his expression of thanks. Damn him, it was only Maribelle that made him feel like a schoolboy, and she had to do nothing at all on her part. "I should probably get going now." He quickly tossed the blankets off of his body and quickly rose up from the bed to leave.

"Hold a moment. That's it? No polite conversation?" Maribelle called, halting the man before he could reach for the handle. "At least stay for a while so we can have a chat. When was the last time you and I had a moment to ourselves, Robin? I was under the impression that we were intimate friends." She huffed while making the bed that Robin had unceremoniously hopped off of.

"W-We are!" He protested. "I just have important duties that I need to tend to."

"Is the situation truly so urgent that you can't spare a simple few minutes? I only wish for a conversation partner over tea, not to monopolize your time."

Robin scratched his head as he struggled to find a good excuse to leave. Ordinarily, he would jump at the chance to sit down for tea, but the circumstances of his "important duties" threw his emotional thinking into flux. Maribelle was on that list. Sooner or later she had to carry his seed for the sake of Chrom's plan. The problem was how he hated to think the woman who he had genuine affection for and would give himself to was, for all intents and purposes just a walking womb. The knowledge of this inevitable courtship made it even more awkward to be around her.

"Okay." He finally relented. "I suppose I could stay for a few minutes."

"Grand! Let's have a seat now and forget about work for one moment. As important as your position is, Robin, never forget to relax every so often. Heavens forbid you run yourself ragged before our job is through." Maribelle took up her specially made tea ketle and poured a full cup for her and her guest.

Grabbing a cube of sugar and dropping it into his cup, Robin stirred his beverage and had a little sip. Truth be told, he couldn't stomach the stuff. It was always bitter to him unless he flooded the drink with sugar cubes. Even then it would get all grainy and make him act way too jumpy for a while. "I know. You're absolutely right. It's just that I've run into a special job in particular that needs immediate attention and it's quite extensive."

"Really? That explains the reluctance from you." The noble picked up a small yellow candy from a tiny bowl next to the sugar cubes she received from Gaius a while back. It was better than the sugar in her opinion. "If I could be so bold, would you care on letting me in on it? If I could possibly lend a hand, I would be delighted to do so."

"Believe me, you'll certainly be a part of it at some point..." He whispered into his cup as he took another sip. "I'm sorry, Maribelle, but this is an assignment that I don't think I should tell you."

Maribelle was a little bit shocked from his response. Robin was normally an open book, and if he ever had something to talk about, she was one of the first to know. Now he suddenly had to stay silent? "I'm afraid I don't quite understand. Is this something that has to do with our goals or not?"

"It does. I just can't tell you because..." He stopped for a moment to contemplate his words carefully. "I don't want you of all people to think less of me."

"Alright, enough of this. Tell me exactly what is going on." Maribelle demanded in a stern and threatening tone. The kind of tone she only used when she wanted to let people know she was not toying around.

Robin was absolutely frustrated with himself now. He was supposed to be a high ranking tactical genius, and yet he didn't have the brains to make up something, anything, to throw Maribelle of his trail. He knew why, too: His hopeless attraction to the woman made him act like a complete moron, losing any sense when it came to her company. Even now, he reached into his coat pocket to retrieve the list that served his secret mission. Reluctantly pulling the folded paper free with a tightened grip, enough to crumple the paper, he reached over and handed the item to the noble.

Maribelle narrowed her eyes at what Robin presented her and took the wrinkled page into her hands. Opening the folded paper, she saw a list of names, with Tharja's crossed out and her own name dotted with an asterisk. The implications were unnerving to a high degree. Looking up from the paper, she asked in a reserved and clearly cautious tone, "What is this?" Swallowing hard, the tactician saw no other way out of this pit he inadvertendly and stupidly dug himself into.

So he told her.

He told her everything. The list. The meaning behind it. The mission Chrom had issued him, and everything that entailed, even Maribelle's eventual inclusion. The entire time he explained, Robin simply could not bring himself to make eye contact. From the outset, he was not a fan of this plan, but he was hoping that some of it would be kept under wraps, at the very least until it was completely executed. However, telling the only person he actually deeply cared about was the nail in his self-perceived coffin.

The only reaction Maribelle could muster was a wide-eyed glare. She could hardly believe her ears when the entirety of this scheme was divulged to her. She simply had no words to give. She just held onto the list, her red eyes shifting from it to Robin. She had no idea what to think, honestly.

"I've got to go." Robin insisted, pulling himself up from the chair. He was through with this whole thing. For him, it was over. Thanking Maribelle for the medical aid, tea and her time, he left her quarters, closing her door and proceeding down the hallway to no particular destination. He just needed a walk to straighten his head out.

-x-

Later that day, the tactician was rarely seen by anyone for the most part. The only time he was seen was in the dining hall, having something to eat with Morgan. He had taken the time to get to know this new version of his daughter, who was currently on an away mission with the Ylissean army. For starters, she had a different diet that the Morgan he knew. While the former was more partial to sea food, particularly fish, this Morgan had no qualms about her meals. She would eat just about anything, really.

After dinner, the two strategists retired to Robin's room for a while. For the time being, new Morgan would take up residence in old Morgan's room. Both had the same hair color, so none would be the wiser of the two different girls. Until then, the two were studying together, just as the girl claimed they always did in the future.

"Hey, Dad?" Morgan asked, looking up from her book.

"Yeah?" Robin responded, doing the same.

"I've been meaning to ask; who's my mom out of all the people here?"

The older tactician set down his book and scratched at his cheek, mulling over whether or not he should even tell her. He could just pretend he had no idea, but with potentially vast amounts of Morgan spanning different genetic variants soon to walk among them, he would need help keeping them all in line sooner or later. He already had his hands full with his own Morgan, and he had no idea who her mother was in this timeline. In the long run, he would have to do it anyway, so there was no harm in beginning now.

"Hm. Well, I'll tell you, but keep in mind that your mother... may not be the most motherly." Robin bit his lower lip to try and keep from saying anything negative about Tharja. She had some good in her, of course. It just didn't outweigh the disturbing, cold-mannered and downright creepy parts of her. If Noire was any indication of her childhood, he could only imagine that Morgan's amnesia may not have been accidental.

"Come on, let's go find her." Placing his book on his bedside, Robin stood up and grabbed Morgan by the hand.

Upon opening the door, the two were surprised to see that company had come to them. Maribelle had stood in the doorway with one hand up balled into a fist, likely to knock on the door.

"Oh, um... hi?" Robin choked out his greeting. Naturally the noblewoman would have a number of questions and boots to the groin for him, but he hadn't expected her company so soon.

"Evening. You left this in my room earlier today." Maribelle handed Robin the list he was supposed to keep to himself. He wagered he left it there in his panicked haste to leave the tension filled room.

"Ah. That. Thanks for returning it." Taking the list and placing it back within his coat pocket, Robin swiftly stepped passed her. "Sorry, me and Morgan were heading somewhere." He began walking down the hallway at a brisk pace, enough that Morgan was nearly tripping over herself to keep up with him.

The younger tactician looked back at the blank woman and raised an eyebrow at the undeniably awkward moment. She was still new and had not yet introduced herself to the other Shepherds yet. "What was all that about?"

"Nothing, hon."

They continued walking through the building, passing many doors. Robin knew which one was the proper room when he saw an ominous purple haze pouring from the bottom of one of one particular door. When he drew close to the room and prepared to knock, the door quickly flung open with Tharja standing at the entrance, a blush on her face and a crooked grin. The Dark Mage quickly ran her hands through her hair, even though it looked more than presentable as it was.

"Oh, Robin! I wasn't expecting you!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. Truthfully, she really wasn't expecting him. The proximity hex she set up outside her door alerted her of his presence though, and rather than wait for him to knock, her impatience got the best of her.

Tharja's eyes drifted from Robin to the girl standing beside him. Morgan was immediately put off by the mysterious woman. Her pale skin and darker than black hair mixed with her slender body was a startling sight, and somehow, she could sense her dark aura indicative of her status as a Dark Mage. It was a skill that not many possessed, but was common among those taught in the ways of dark magic. Her revealing outfit didn't help either. Ordinarily, Morgan would have shuffled back and kept her distance, but something immediately caught her eye when looking the tall woman over. She somehow possessed the same headdress that she had. Hers was one of a kind. It was no common accessory worn by Dark Mages. Tharja noticed this too. The one Morgan wore was a bit tarnished, but otherwise it was the same piece of jewelry.

Taking the initiative, Morgan stepped forward rather than waiting for her father to speak up to break the silence. "Excuse me? Are you my mother?" Morgan asked sheepishly. Her eyes had a small glint in them with the possibility.

Tharja didn't quite know what to say. Her expression went back to neutral after hearing the question. She looked towards Robin for confirmation, to which the tactician nodded providing her answer. It was odd. The Morgan that would normally walk around camp and beside Robin was of no concern to her, but this time, Tharja could sense their relation. Her headdress, the color of her eyes, she even had the same cloud of darkness surrounding her that Noire had, but somehow it was even deeper and more sinister than the archer's.

Leaning down to meet Morgan eye to eye, Tharja stared intently at the younger tactician. It was an intimidation tactic. She wanted to see if her menacing glare would scare the girl off. She tried the same thing with Noire and it sent the girl into a whimpering mess. Morgan on the other hand stood firm, staring back with a stern look of determination. Robin simply looked from one to the other, confused about what was going on.

"Hm. What if I were?" Tharja finally asked back. She smirked, wondering if she could break the little tactician's brave act in front of her father. Instead, she got a different reaction. Morgan did indeed drop her stern expression, however, she quickly leaned in and gave Tharja a tight hug, throwing the Dark Mage off guard.

"It's so good to meet you! I have so many questions!" Morgan squealed. For no proper reason, the girl was ecstatic. She barely knew the woman, but when she knew of her heritage, all she could do was express joy. In the same way she found her father after whatever events followed her into this realm, she embraced her mother wholeheartedly. "Mother, I know it's short notice, but would you mind if we could just... I dunno, talk maybe? I really do have so much I want to ask you."

The taller woman looked down at the sparkling eyes of her daughter. She was adorable, disgustingly so. When Noire first laid eyes on her, she was practically scared for her life. She could deal with that, it was a common reaction anyway. Not so with her second child. The hugging, the smiling. It was different. She would be lying if she said she hated it, but she could do without the excessive contact.

With a sigh, Tharja placed her hands on Morgan's shoulders and gently pushed her away slightly, not enough to break Morgan's hug, just so that she wasn't in danger of crushing a rib. Looking back up at Robin, she asked "You don't mind her staying here for a while, do you?"

Robin smiled at Tharja's acceptance. "Not at all." His smile then turned to a stern look. "Please take care of her though, okay? No H-E-X-I-N-G. I've seen how Noire can be." he warned. She may be the mother of his potential child, but Gods help her if he so much as found a misplaced hair on her head.

"I can spell, Dad." Morgan huffed.

"Don't worry, you have my word nothing will happen to her." Tharja placed a hand on Morgan's head. She didn't say it in a sarcastic tone or wear a forced half-smile on her face. Her habits were ingrained in the tacician's head, so he knew that alone was enough to see she was being genuine.

"Alright then. If either of you need me, I'll be in my room... which I'm sure you already know where it is, Tharja." This time, the pale woman did smile mischievously.

On his way back to his room, Robin reached into his coat to check his list again. It was already in the moonlight hours. If he played his cards right, perhaps he could bed one of the Shepherds and be another step closer to finishing his mission. It was especially cold tonight in Ferox. Perhaps it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility for someone to welcome warm company.

"What the Hells am I thinking...?" Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he stuffed the list away and continued to his room. He could still hardly believe his situation. Of course, he had to get a move on. Grima wasn't going to sleep forever on Origin Peak after all.

Once he had arrived at his room, he entered hastily, ready to call it a night. Upon opening the door, he was immediately aware of some company. Maribelle had been patiently sitting on his bed, legs crossed, hands resting on her knee. Robin just stood there in the doorway. His expression was neutral. He had no words for the situation. Partly because he was surprised to see that she was waiting for him in his room of all places, and also because after their earlier encounter that day.

"We need to talk." The noble was using that tone again. She pointed at a chair she placed across from herself. "And I am not leaving until I have sorted all this business out."

 _"Ah shit."_ Robin cursed under his breath. He knew this could only end terribly for him.

"Excuse me?" Maribelle narrowed her eyes. If there was one thing she disliked about people, it was vulgarity.

"I said 'I'll sit!'". the tactician quickly answered, closing the door behind him. Pulling up the chair, he planted himself before the noble. Since his bed was slightly higher off the ground, he felt comparatively small, especially with that sneer Maribelle was giving him.

The atmosphere was much more cold than last time. The blonde noble was very well aware of what was going on and had collected her thoughts on the subject. But where to even start? The plan itself? The motivation? The execution? Herself? Maribelle recounted the details in her head. She understood all of it, but was still shaken to her core.

"Let's... begin where we left off." Maribelle said, rubbing her forehead. "Why even do this, Robin?"

Robin rubbed his neck while thinking of an answer. "Because. Me and Chrom want the same thing."

"What? To shamelessly gallivant among our ranks and soil the loins of every woman here? Is this some sort of cruel betting game to see if you could indeed accomplish this task? Honestly-"

"Because the alternative is everyone dying!" Robin shouted back, unable to bottle his frustration any longer. His head quickly fell into his hands, having completely lost his nerve.

"Let me tell you something: We're all going to die, okay? I've seen it. I KNOW it. Every single day, it gets harder and harder for us to get by without someone getting injured. For Gods' sake, we nearly lost Ricken just last week when defending a town from those rampant cultists. We're only fighting fellow people. That thing out there? It's a God." Robin pointed outwardly to accentuate his point. "Even with everything we have, we wouldn't make it. It would be a suicide mission. And I know deep down what I'm doing isn't exactly morally stable, but this is all I can do to at least increase our chances of winning. This isn't just because I feel like I can. I need to. For everyone in the Shepherds, Ylisse, probably the world... for you."

The room fell silence again. Maribelle was at a loss for words. She was prepared to tear the man into bits and pieces for his transgressions, but after hearing his rationalization, the wind was deftly taken out of her sails. It was still disturbing as all creation and she very much felt like he deserved a punch in the jaw, and Chrom as well, but his reasoning was enough to keep her from doing so. Being the genius tactician that he was, no one questioned his word when he said a situation was or wasn't possible. No one trusted his word more than Chrom and Maribelle herself. If Robin only saw one way to solve a problem, he would take it, and everyone was trusting enough to follow through, and each and every time, they succeeded. For him to now claim that a situation was indeed a death trap, how could she possibly argue?

Sighing, Maribelle relented her feelings of disgust for now. As the situation was explained, they needed the extra man-power to make this a fruitful venture. "Fine. You win. I see your point, and I will not dissuade you."

Robin leaned back in his chair, a bit more calm from his rant. "I'm sorry if I'm not the perfect man you've tried to make me out to be. It actually hurts me a lot knowing that you of all people found out about this."

"I'm sure. I have not been blind to how you see me, Robin. I know that you find me to be a special person to you, as you are to me." The noble placed a reassuring hand on Robin's arm. She wanted to let him know that even if what he was doing is not 'okay', sometimes going down the less clean paths may be the best way forward. "And as I said before... I'm willing to help you see this through. Gods know how this must affect you right now. Remember; there is nothing noble about leaving a task half-done. I intend to keep my word."

"Even though you'll be part of it?" Robin looked up to the noble woman's eyes.

"Especially if I'm part of it." Maribelle raised her hand from Robin's arm up to his cheek. She leaned into him until their foreheads touched and both stared into each other's eyes. Her eyes were gentle now. Completely devoid of the piercing death gaze she had given him before. There was no need to hide her icy exterior to him. She was more than willing to finally let her affections show. It wasn't in the scenario she had always pictured in her head. For her, it would be after they spent an evening in each other's company. Pleasant conversation of current events, perhaps even catch a show at the opera house. Afterward, he would confess his love for her before her peers and sweep her up into his arms. The perfect evening. Alas, it was not to be, but even so, she wanted the moment to live up to its fullest.

Robin had gotten up from the chair and had taken his place beside the noble, and both proceeded to take things slowly. At first, he had no idea how to approach the situation. It wasn't like with Tharja where he was thrust into something barely against his own volition. That session was rough and fast. Now, with Maribelle here, she made sure to comfort him. This was still new for her, but she hoped Robin's experience would still find her appealing. Leaning him down onto his pillow, Maribelle made the first move. She leveled herself against him, cheeks flushing with pink that matched her attire. She could hardly believe this was happening.

On Robin's end, his heart was positively racing. For so long he had pictured this moment. So many lonely and restless nights were seen through only with thoughts of the noble. He could barely help how one of his arms were wrapped firmly around Maribelle's waist, resting on her back the other intertwined with her own. He already knew about the inevitable, but for now, he enjoyed the moment. He much prefered the gentle approach to things. The man was as hard boiled as any soldier out there, but he was as sensitive as he was crafty too, and simply adored the way Maribelle handled him. He made sure to show the same care.

Gently, he leaned into the woman's gaze and softly pressed his lips against hers. They were soft and found a natural connection with his from the gloss she always has on. Again, the sensation he received was one of gentleness and sincerity. The type of candid affection that he had never felt before but merely heard about from Chrom since the days after his marriage. His first real kiss, and it tasted marvelous.

"Is that... spiced wine?" Robin asked, smacking his lips to the familiar taste.

Maribelle nodded with the tiniest of smiles across her face. "I needed some method to steele my nerves to confront you on this whole thing." Robin simply laid his had back onto his pillow, letting a good laugh escape him.

After they had had their fill of each other's lips, Maribelle leaned into Robin. Her legs drapped over his own, and she allowed her body to rest against his. Naturally, her weight made him lie on his back, and he did so with grace to keep the mood pleasant. He was so warm. He had no fire burning in the fireplace of his room, which made the place a tad chilly, but Robin was a refreshing beacon of warmth for her. So content in his heat, the noble was tempted into dozing off for a spell in his arms. She begrudgingly resistaed the urge and looked up to his brown eyes with a content look about her.

"A question, Robin." She asked.

Captivated by her beauty, the only response he thought of was "Hm?"

"The list you have. Why was my name punctuated out of all the others?"

"Oh." Robin knew what she was talking about. He plucked the list from his coat and unfurled the crumpled paper before her. Just as she asked, her name had an asterisk next to it that the others did not. "It was supposed to be a reminder to put you last after everyone else. I wanted you to be the last person I was intimate with. That way when this was all over, maybe we could have..."

Maribelle wordlessly silenced him by holding his hand as he explained. She understood fully and frankly, found it flattering. She liked the idea of being 'the best for last' even in a crazy situation like this. "While we are on the subject, why choose Tharja first?"

"Eh..." Robin grunted with distaste. "I had no choice. She sort of... pushed herself upon me when she found out about Chrom's plan. She promised not to tell the others if I... promised to be with her."

The noblewoman's brow creased from the explaination. She had no personal issue with Tharja, but the woman simply had no honor. Blackmail was a great offense as is, but preemptively claiming Robin before her? This could not stand. She was going to have a word with her. Very soon. For now, her focus was between them. It had been a long time coming, but she was ready to finally give herself to him.

In an attempt to salvage the mood, the two began undressing each other. This was no time to speak of who had steamy sex with whom in whatever attempt to undermine the other's efforts.

Soon enough, both of them were completely nude before each other. The room was filled with the exotic scent of Maribelle's perfume; the smell of money and high society. She lay below the tactician, her arms placed at his shoulders as he readied himself. "Be gentle with me, darling." she cooed.

Robin leaned forward, finally entering Maribelle. He had very little idea of what he was doing. It wasn't as if his time with Tharja was a learning experience. Even so, he continued, trying his best to make this enjoyable for the both of them. Whether it was the heightened emotion between them or if he was actually doing a semi-good job, the noble beneath him sighed with content, a crooked smile on her face as they made love for the first time.

"A-Am I... doing alright?" Robin asked between thrusts. The look on her face didn't quite give him a clear answer one way or the other.

"You're doing wonderful, darling." Maribelle answered absently. Moving her hands from Robin's shoulders to his head, she pulled him in, resting his chin on her shoulder as a means of support for her. She needed something to grip and hold onto so she could resist the urge to moan and scream like any baseborn tramp would in a time like this.

The tactician ran one of his hands alongside his love's bare thighs, something he did manage to pick up from his last venture. The trail of his fingers leaving goosebumps on the girl in their wake. Her normally smooth skin ran bumpy with delight from his touch alone, and she couldn't help but rub her own leg against Robin's as he continued to show his affections.

Raising himself up from her shoulder, Robin looked upon Maribelle's vulnerable face again. Her half-lidded eyes and panting breath were every indication that she wanted to let everything out. It was cute; she always had to be the strong dignified one even when the situation never called for it. He rubbed the back of his hand against her cheek and leaned down to kiss her warm lips again. The taste of spiced win was still there and pleasant as ever. Separating the kiss for a moment, he spoke into her ear, "You don't need to hold back with me, Maribelle. Just let go."

With her hands still gripping her lover's head, she pulled him back into another kiss, this time, making no attempt to mask her true self. She moaned roughly into his mouth every time he pumped into her. Every hard breath was almost in time with her steady heartbeat, and giving into her base instincts seemed to intensify her pleasure. It held true for Robin as well. Knowing that he was able to make her feel good did wonders for his confidence, allowing him to hold her tight and move faster and harder than before. Never enough to be considered rough, but still with enough vigor that the noble's breasts would rise and fall like a vertical metronome, earning him even more pleased moans and cries of satisfaction.

Robin separated their second kiss again. "Hey..." panting lightly from the woman almost literally stealing his breath away. "I'm almost finished..."

In response, Maribelle raised her legs and wrapped them around Robin's hips, firmly locking him in place. "I'm ready." she announced, steeling herself.

The way Maribelle had her lower self around Robin had made movement a little restricting, but her persevered in the face of adversity. Both of them had one hand entwined within the others, while the free one from Maribelle was placed at Robin's back, while his was placed around her shoulder. Feeling his orgasm reaching him, Robin made one last thrust, deep inside of the woman's core. The release he felt was unlike before. With Tharja, it was as if he felt a large *bang* go off within him because of the spontaneity of it all, this time, it was an equally powerful surge of pleasure, but it 'felt' more like a fulfilling *jolt*. One. Twice. Three times he felt his entire body twitch with the subtlest of jerks.

As they were settling down, Maribelle made sure to keep her legs wrapped around Robin for just a little longer. She wanted to make sure the tactician's efforts would take. She had to remind herself that regardless of the earnest love they shared, this was still just part of a bigger plan, and she would make sure to keep her promise in helping him see it through.

"Maribelle...?" Robin spoke up after taking a minute's rest.

"Hm?"

"Love you."

"Mm, love you too." The noblewoman nuzzled against the man's face and delivered a simple peck on his cheek. From there, the two closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, with Robin still ensnared by the girl.

-x-

Early the next morning, Robin was awakened by a chill in the air. He begrudgingly opened his eyes to see that Maribelle was nowhere to be seen. He was still naked from last night and his door was open, explaining the cold Feroxi winter wind blowing in. The cold was probably nowhere near as bad as Robin made it out to be. He couldn't help but feel a little lonely without Maribelle here to greet him. After wiping his eyes of sleep, he pulled on a pair of the trousers from yesterday, enough for him to head to the Khan's bathhouse and wash up for the day. As he grabbed his coat, the door to his room creaked open, with Maribelle stepping through while carrying a tray in her arms.

"Good morning, love." She cheerfully greeted, closing the door behind her with her foot. She placed the tray onto Robin's table, which was thankfully clear of books and stray papers that normally graced the top.

Robin looked at the spread before him; a piping hot bowl of oat meal with a small bowl of sugar next to it, a fresh banana that was perfectly ripe for eating, and an equally piping hot cup of tea with the scent of ginger. A simple meal, but anything hot was great in this brutal weather.

"I've taken the freedom to prepare you an appropriate meal. Everything you see is proven to grant a healthy boost in virility." she smiled innocently.

"Wow. You're serious about helping me, huh?" Robin set down to have his meal, beginning with the tea to warm his palette.

"Forgive me for involving myself with a matter that is entirely your own, but a task such as this requires an extra hand. Besides, Lord Chrom does not appear to be lending any assistance with the very task he assigned you with."

"Plausible deniability I wager. If I get found out, no one would be the wiser that the Exalt of the realm was orchestrating events behind the scenes. Can't say I blame him though." Robin took a half spoon full of sugar and mixed it with his oatmeal before digging in.

"Reasonable, if not underhanded."

"Yeah, well, that's how it goes. But I already knew the risks when I accepted, so I'll just continue to play my part. It will do a lot for me if you do manage to have my back throughout this."

"Absolutely, darling, you leave just about everything to me. In the meantime, what will you do next?"

Robin took another sip of his tea. "I was going to start of by reporting to Chrom, then have a warm bath. Care to join me for the second part?" he grinned slyly.

"Perhaps you should leave that one to the other girls." Maribelle smiled back. "Now then, eat quickly and don't be late to see Chrom. I must be going."

"Are you sure? Don't you want to stay a little and maybe talk about last night?" Robin asked, peeling into his fruit.

"Fear not, Robin. I promise you we will have the time. So until then, behave yourself." Maribelle giggled as she left the tactician to eat. Starting down the hallway, she started thinking of how to go about her plans. Before that, she had a loose end that needed tying up.

-x-

A knock on her door alerted Tharja to some unwanted company. She wanted to just ignore them and go back to sleep as she usually did, but the persistent sound of someone banging their knuckles on her door without end was enough to get her up and out of bed. As she awakened, she looked back to her bed to see Morgan sound asleep. They had spent the entire night talking and getting to know each other. Somehow, the innocent little girl managed to melt Tharja's cold exterior and out of her own offering, allowed her to share her bed for the evening until she could get her own quarters. All the more reason to answer the door; she didn't want whoever was knocking to wake her up.

Opening the door slightly, the Dark Mage caught sight of Maribelle of all people. She was actually expecting Robin to be here and check on Morgan. Tharja immediately began to shut her door to go back to bed, only to have it blocked be the noble's foot.

"Tharja! Do you have a moment?" Maribelle asked, while simultaneously shoving the door open and letting herself inside. The room was just as unpleasant as the person who occupied it. Dreary, dark, and the unpleasant scent of all the animal parts she had on hand whenever she needed to cook up a good hex or two. The first thing Maribelle noticed was someone else under the sheets of Tharja's bed. The whore had probably dug her vile claws into another man after she was finished with Robin. How typical.

"What do you want...?" Tharja hissed. Her left hand began to gleam with a violet hue, ready to use a levitation hex and literally throw her "guest" out of her room.

"Let me be brief." Maribelle turned to face the Dark Mage with eyes that burned even brighter than Tharja's hand. "You and I both know about the 'special assignment' Robin is currently on. I also know about how you tried to blackmail him. So I will say this once: You WILL keep that pale mouth quiet, and recognize that Robin belongs to me. Overstep your boundries and so help me I will make sure you regret us ever scraping you up from the desert floor two years ago."

Tharja nearly had her jaw fall open. Who the hell did this spoiled brat think she was talking to!? She could remove her bones from her skin and hang her husk up to dry in the next half hour if she wanted! "You know, you're pretty brave. Talking to someone with power that not even your worst nightmares can compare to." She growled. Her own eyes began to to glow violently with her magical powers bubbling to the surface.

"Then go ahead. Just try to say a word to anyone, or even have a passing thought of taking Robin from me and I will show you something not even a Dark Mage would dare to see." The noble refused to back down, staring directly into Tharja's glowing eyes, challenging her intimidation tactics. She had dealt with worse, and there was no chance she would concede her loved one to this harlot. Without giving Tharja a chance to reply, Maribelle stormed out of the room, slamming the door loudly.

Tharja just stood there in her room, hand trembling in anger. No matter what it takes, Robin would belong to her, damn the consequences and damn any woman who got between that.

"Hwuh...?" a voice mumbled from beneath the blankets of Tharja's bed. Morgan awoke from the sound of the door slamming. Her hair was a mess and one eye was still shut from exhaustion. "Breakfast time...?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes. Tharja barely even registered the girl, still fuming.

"We'll just see who will have who, you pampered, rich cu-"

"Mom, who're you talkin' to...?" Morgan interrupted tossing the blanket off of herself.

"Uh, no one. Come on. Let's go get something to eat."


End file.
